Birds
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Mandarin Duck Spotted In Hafnarfjörður
A mandarin duck was spotted at the Hamarkotslækur pond in Hafnarfjörður yesterday, according to Vísir. “This is such a beautiful bird that it’s always a pleasure to see it again and again,” birdwatcher Sveinn Jónsson, who photographed the duck, told Vísir. “I…
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Spring Is Here: Lóa Spotted In Iceland
The first lóa, or golden plover in English, has arrived in Iceland after spending the winter in warmer climates. Ólöf Helga Haraldsdóttir spotted the bird walking along the shore at Eyrarbakki yesterday, reports RÚV. Ólöf Helga Haraldsdóttir was out for a walk…
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Thousands Of Puffins Wash Ashore Dead
In recent weeks, thousands of dead puffins have washed ashore along the coasts of Europe, reports RÚV. Since January, tens of thousands of bird carcasses have washed ashore in Portugal, France, Spain, and the UK, the majority of them puffins. BBC and…
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Great Black-Backed Gull Now Critically Endangered In Iceland
The great black-backed gull has been added to the list of bird species in Iceland considered to be in critical danger, according to a new Red List published by the Natural Science Institute of Iceland. Other species classified as critically endangered include…
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Make Looking For Birds A Reasonable New Year’s Resolution
A hardcore birder’s guide to prioritising life and finding a redwing Many of us enter the new year intoxicated by the promise of new year, new me. Chin up. Upright posture. Eyes pointed forward. Now, what if you looked a little further?…
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A Field Guide To Hardcore Birding: Life On The Vagrant Bird Watch
“Mosastelkur í Grindavík”, “Rísstarli, Fiskhjallar við garð”, “Höfn, Þorgeirslundur: kollgræningi”, “Vogsósar í Selvogi, ógreindur greipur”, “Reykjavík, við Stjórnarráðið: kúastarli”, “Barrþröstur í Tjarnarbyggð”. Six seemingly innocent messages, but after a quick read or translation, some of us might choke on our morning coffee,…
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Lesser-Known Bird Paradise: Cosplaying David Attenborough At Grímsey
I’m on a boat heading to an island few people have ever set foot on, and even fewer have heard of. Hundreds of clumsy puffins are flapping my way. I’m headed to Grímsey. Like many places in Iceland with identical names (my…
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A Bird On A Stand Is Worth Two In The Bush
A visit to Iceland’s premier bird museum Ask any tourist to Iceland which bird they’re most looking forward to seeing on their visit, and the answer will be near-universal: the puffin. Those greedy, adorable little fucks have been front-and-centre of every travel…
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First Puffins Return As Breeding Season Begins
The first puffins to return to Iceland settled in Grímsey last weekend, reports akureyri.is. The small bird was unusually punctual, arriving about four days before the expected date. Puffins spend most of their lives out on sea, only returning to coastal areas…
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Reykjavik Residents Asked To Show Vigilance Against Bird Flu
In recent days, the City of Reykjavík’s Animal Control employees have been identifying and removing dead birds suspected of carrying avian flu. In a press release by the city, residents are asked to notify Animal Control of any dead or sick birds.…
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Birdwatching With A Pro
Learning to “catch and release,” the birder’s way* I vividly remember the moment I met with friends after lockdown. Everyone was sharing their pandemic hobbies and, as you can imagine, there was a lot of sourdough and banana bread baked over those…
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Puffin Population Declines By 70%
Iceland’s Atlantic puffin population has experienced a significant decline of 70% in almost thirty years, reports RÚV. This decrease is far greater than previously believed. Iceland is home to a substantial portion of the global puffin population. While the puffin population is…
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Bird Of The Year: White Wagtail
This year, seven bird species competed for the title Bird of the Year in a competition organized by BirdLife Iceland for the second year in a row. A white wagtail won the competition with a landslide, receiving 21% of the votes. Common…
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Voting Has Commenced For The Icelandic Bird Of The Year
The voting for The Bird of the Year began yesterday, on September 5th, and will continue until September 12th. The results will be announced on Icelandic Nature Day, September 16th. [su_pullquote]Best of Reykjavík 2022 Autumn edition is out! To celebrate we are…
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Midge Population Decreases At Lake Mývatn, Bird Life Affected
The midge population at Mývatn has decreased from 100,000 to about a thousand, RÚV reports. [su_pullquote]We are having a summer sale on all our Icelandic soaps, scrubs, face masks, perfumes and more! These are all high-quality products made by Icelandic producers we…
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Icelandic Raven Makes Home In Construction Crane
Apparently birds love construction sites! A family of Icelandic ravens have taken up residence in a crane at a construction site, reports RÚV. [su_pullquote]Who better to ask what’s best in Reykjavík than the people who live here? Every year we round up…
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Eurasian Oystercatcher Nest Alters Road Construction
Construction workers in Vesturlandsvegur have left a gravel patch for a nesting pair of Eurasian oystercatchers, reports RÛV, who managed to alter road construction significantly with their presence. [su_pullquote]If you are coming to Iceland check out our goodie bags that you can…
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Ask An Expert: How To Avoid an Arctic Tern Attack
The Arctic Tern is a fascinating and impressive bird. Over its lifetime (20-30years) they will travel over 70,000 km every year during their roundtrip voyage between Antarctica and the Polar regions, which is considered to be the longest migratory distance in the…
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Flatey Nature Reserve Doubles In Size
Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources of Iceland, has signed for the expansion of the nature reserve in Flatey, which will double its size. Flatey is a small island, one of thousands, that dots Breiðafjörður south of the…
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People Coming Into Iceland To Steal Rare Bird Eggs
There are concerns that individuals will come to Iceland for the sole purpose of stealing rare eggs, Vísir reports. The chairman of the board of the Icelandic Falcon Centre says that it is unusually common these days for falcon eggs to disappear,…
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Heiðlóan Has Been Voted Bird Of The Year 2021
Heiðlóan (pluvialis apricaria, or the European golden plover) is the winner of the election for the title Bird of the Year 2021. In an announcement from the association Fuglavernd, the bird won with flying colours where it received by far the most…
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Eagle Under Arrest In The Westfjords!
The police in the Westfjords have “arrested” a twelve-year-old eagle after it got into trouble over the weekend, Vísir reported yesterday. Apparently, this is the second time police have had to intervene with this particular eagle, and he is back behind bars.…
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Falcon Gang Roasts The Grapevine
In some of the most exciting news to come out of Iceland this week, it turns out that reporters at The Reykjavík Grapevine know absolutely fuck all about birds. And yes, we do mean actual birds. We know plenty about picking up…